Railway car underframe



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sia @i @Egal/km,

dd* LM ArrGR/VEY vK. F. NYSTROM EIAL RAILWAY CAR UNDERFRAME l I Iwnfvhilu l .llhtllhh April 21, 1953 Filed March 3, 1951 April 21, 1953 K. F. NYsTRoM Erm.

RAILWAY CAR UNDERFRAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 3, 1951 535e Q/s 9W my a. Wee, L @m aL, ATR/VEY Patented Apr. 21, 1953 2.635.559 RAILWAY CAR UNDERFRAME Karl F. Nystrom, Chicago, Ill., and William R.

Yokel, Evansville, 1nd., assignors to International Steel Company, Evansville, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application March 3, 1951, Serial No. 213,730 9 Claims. (Cl. 105-416) m Our invention relates broadly to railway car construction and more particularly to an improved construction of railway car underframe. Y One of the objects of our invention is to provide a construction of railway car underframe which reduces riveting operations to a minimum and enables the underframe to be formed from at rolled -plates for reducing manufacturing costs and conserving the time of labor.

`Another object of our invention is to provide' a construction of centersill for railway car underframes constructed from flat plates welded into. an effective assembly which makes vit un.

necessary to employ rolled sections of conventional construction.

Still another object of our invention is to pro, vide a centersill construction for the underframe of a flat car in'which longitudinallyv extending plates are welded `together along their longitudinal axes and the plates horizontally aligned with each other for forming a centersill making it unnecessary to employ rolled sections.

VStill another object of our invention is to provide a fabricated centersill construction for railway'cars employing flat plates welded with respect to each other forming top and bottom chords interconnected by vertical plates welded thereto, with the bottom chords terminating short of the-top chords to provide for the installation of striking castings with integral frontdraft lugs and the bolster center filler and rear draft gearV stop in combination with reinforcement angles interconnecting the foreshortened bottom chords..

"Other and furtherY objects of our invention reside in the improved construction of railway carlongitudinal sectional view through theV righthand end of the railway car underframe showing the assembly of the bolster center filler and rear draft gear stop vand the striking casting with integral front draft lugs with respect to the `construction of our invention; Fig. is a vvertical transverse sectional view takensubstantially` on line 5 5 of Fig..l; Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional viewV taken substantially on lineG-S of Fig. 1; Fig..'1V is a, Vertical transverse sectional view substantially on line l-l of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the welded plate assembly constituting the centersill of the railway car underframe; Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the right-hand end of the railway car underframe on a somewhat enlarged scale; Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional View taken through the right-hand end of the centersill substantially on line lll- I0 of Fig. 4; Fig. 11 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on line II--II of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line l2-l2 of Fig. 10; and Fig. 13 is a perspective view of ay fragmentary portion of the right-hand end of the centersill for purposes of more clearly showing the welded assembly of the plates which form the centersill.

Our invention is directed toan economical construction of railway car underframe which may be assembled at minimum cost of material and labor and with minimum weight in the assembly. The centersill in the railway car underframe of our invention does'not require rolled fabricated sections conventionally required in railway car centersill construction as we provide top and bottom chordsv interconnected by vertically extended plates welded to the bottom surfaces of the top chords and to the upper surfaces of the bottom chords. The bottom lchords terminate short of the longitudinal extension of the top chords to enable the bolster center filler and rear draft gear stop and the striking casting with integral front draft lugs to be assembled in position beneath the top chords and between the vertically extending plates which extend between the top and bottom chords.

The bolster centerller and rear draft gear stops employed in the construction of our invention is of the type shown in co-pending application 197,349, filed November 24, 1950 entitled Bolster Center Filler and Rear Draft Gear Stop for Railway Car Construction by Karl F. Nystrom while the striking casting with integral front draft lugs employed in the assembly of our invention is of the type shown in Karl F. Nystrom application 184,445, led September 12, 1950 entitled Striking Casting With Integral Front Draft Lugs. y

We provdereinforcement means for the bottom chordsY which terminate short of the length of the top chords constituted by angle members which f extend from the p terminal end of the centersill to the outsideV surfaces of the vertically extending plates to a position approximately three feet beyond the center of the bolster cen-- ter filler and rear draft gear stop, the angles have their Vertical flanges Welded to the outside surfaces of the vertical plates above the terminating ends of the bottom chords. We have found this construction and assembly highly practical as it conserves material and reduces labor costs in the assembly operation. Without the arrangement of the angles extending from positions adjacent the ends of the bottom chords it Would otherwise be necessary to burn off the inside flanges of the bottom chords in order to provide sufficient entry space to accommodate the bolster center filler and rear draft gear stop and the striking casting with integral front draft lugs. Hence the Welded plate assembly is ideally suited for eliminating requirements for relatively large rolled sections and eliminating wast age of steel plate in the bottom chord construction.

Referring to the drawings in more detail reference character I designated an underframe for a flatcar comprising longitudinally extending frame members 2, 3, 4 and 5 interconnected by transverse frame members designated at 6, '1,

etc. and terminating in side frame members 8 L and 9 and end frame members In and Il. The centersill construction of our invention is shown at I2 comprisingras shown more clearly in Figs. 5-13, a pair of coplanar top chords or cover plates shown at I4 and length of the railway car underframe and coacting with a pair of fiat coplanar bottom chords or cover plates I6 and Il interconnected by the vertically extending intermediate plates ld and I9. The vertically extending intermediate plates I8 and I9 are shaped to conform With the longitudinal section of the llat car as illustrated more particularly Vin Fig. 2 in Which the side of the car is illustrated as including a side frame 2d having the contour shown; that is, a plate A of uniform depth disposed centrally of the railway car underframe and having tapered portions 2i and 22 at each end thereof terminating in end portions 23 and 24 of uniform depth. The opposite side 29 of the car underframe is constructed in a similar manner as illustrated in Figs. 5-7. The vertically extending plates I8 and I9 follow this same contour as illustrated more particularly in Figs. 4 and 13 as tapering from a central portion designated at I8 in Fig. 18Vto an end portion designated at I9" in Fig. 13 with respect to plate I8 and at I9" in Fig. 4 with respect to plate I9. The top chords i4 and I5 Which extend the entire length of the railway car underframe support the transversely extending top bolster plates represented at and 25. The coacting bottom bolster yplates shown more particularly in Figs. 2, 4, 7 and l0 are represented at 23' and 29"' interconnected by the transverse plate 25 as shown in Figs. `2, 4, 7 and 10. The railway car door 21 shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is supported by the longitudinally ex tending plates I4 and I5 constituting the centersill and the members 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the side members 8 and I9.

The centersill is constructed by welding the vertically extending plates I3 and I9 along their top peripheral edges to theundersurfaces'of the top chords I4 and I5 at approximately the longi tudinal centers of the respective chords i4 and i5 where the chords I4 and I5 are coplanar as represented at I8a and I9a. At the bottom peripheral edges of the vertical plates I8 and i9 a welded connection is made to 'the bottom chords it and I1 as 'represented at I 8b and i911, Where the bottom chords I6 and I1 are coplanar..` The .bottom I5 which extend the entire l `4 chords are spacially related with respect to their inner coplanar edges as represented at 28 as distinguished from the assembly of the top chords I 4 and I5 which meet edge to edge and are Welded along the central seam as represented at 29. The plates I8 and I9 are braced at spaced intervals along the length thereof by transversely extending bracingV plates represented at 30, 3|, 32, etc.

The bottom chords I6 and I1 terminate at approximately the junction of the tapered portion I8 and the uniform depth portion I8 of plate I8 (Fig. 13) and at approximately the junction of the tapered portion I9 With the uniform depth portion I9" of plate I9 (Fig. 4). Angle members 33 and 34 have their vertically extending portions 33 and 34' welded to the outside surfaces of the vertically extending plates I8 and I9 respectively. The right angularly disposed iianges of the angle members 33 and 34 which extend in a horizontal direction are welded to the terminating ends of the bottom chords' I9 and I1 asrrepresented at 33" and 34". The angle membersl 33 and 34 extend in Welded relation to the bottom exterior peripheral edges of plates I9 and I9 to the end of the centersill Where the angle members are welded to the transverse end member II. Thus a rigid section is maintained constituted by the parallel spaced plates i8 and i9 depending from top chords I4 and I5 and open at the bottom thereof 'as represented more clearly in Figs. 4 and 9-13 for receiving the striking casting with integral front draft lugs represented at 35 and the bolster center filler and rear draft gear as represented at 36.. The striking casting with integral front draft lugs 35V may be introduced through the open end of the centersill of the contour represented in Fig. 13 while the bolster center filler and rear draft gear stop 36 is introduced from beneath the open section provided by the plates I8 and I9 beyond the terminating ends of the bottom vchords I6 and I'I as illustrated in Figs. 4, 10, 12 and 13. The striking casting with integral front draft lugs 35 and the bolster center ller and rear draft gear stop are welded in the relative positions 'shown in Figs. 4 and 10 Where the center of the bolster center filler and rear draft gear stop is approximately three feet from the terminating ends of the bottom chords I6 and I1. In order to reinforce the plates I8 and I9 in their spaced parallel positions We provide a transversely extending plate 31 which is bolted at its opposite ends by the series of bolts represented at 31a and 31o extending through lthe bottom flanges 33 and 34" vof 'the angle members 33 and 34.

We have found the .structure of the centersill as herein set forth highly practical and economical in assembly and production and While We have described our invention inV one of its preferred embodiments We realize that modifications may be made and vve desire that it be understood that no Ylimitations upon our invention are intended other than may be 'imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a railway car underfram'e acentersill comprising a pair of longitudinally extending verticallydisposed plates, .a horizontally disposed longitudinally extending chord secured along its central vlongitudinal axis to the upper peripheral edge of each of the vertically disposed plates and projecting transversely on each side thereof.. a transversely disposed longitudinally extending chord secured to .the bottom peripheraledges of each of said plates, said last mentioned chords terminating short of said rst mentioned chords for permitting entry of a bolster center filler and rear draft gear stop and a striking casting with integral front draft lugs beneath said first mentioned chords and between said plates.

2. A railway car underframe comprising a centersill constituted by a pair of vertically disposed longitudinally extending spaced plates, a horizontally disposed longitudinally extending top chord welded along the central longitudinal axis thereof to the top peripheral edge of each of said plates and projecting transversely on each side thereof, said chords being welded to each other along the central axis of said centersill, a bottom longitudinally extending chord welded to the bottom peripheral edge of each of said plates and extending in transverse alignment one with respect to the other, said bottom chords terminating short of the length of said top chords for providing an enclosure for the installation of a bolster center filler and rear draft gear stop and a striking casting with integral front draft lugs and means for positively spacing said plates intermediate the terminating ends of said bottom chords and the extremities of said top chords.

3. A railway car underframe comprising a centersill as set forth in claim 2 in which said bottom chords have their inner peripheral edges spaced one from the other in the same transverse plane by a longitudinally extending gap.

4. A railway car underframe comprising a centersill as set forth in claim 2 in which an angle member having vertically and horizontally disposed flanges extends on the exterior surface of each of said plates with the vertical flanges thereof secured to the said external surfaces between the terminating ends of said bottom chords and the extremities of said plates with the horizontal flanges thereof extending substantially in alignment with the bottom edges of said plates for imparting rigidity to the end of the centersill.

5. A railway car underframe comprising a centersill as set forth in claim 2 in which said longitudinally extending plates vary in vertical dimension from a portion of maximum depth substantially central of the car underframe to a portion of minimum depth adjacent the ends of the car underframe and wherein the bottom chords terminate substantially at the junctions of the portions of maximum depth and the portions of minimum depth.

6. A railway car underframe comprising a centersill as set forth in claim 2 in which said longitudinally extending plates vary in vertical dimension from a portion of maximum depth substantially central of the car underframe to a portion of minimum depth adjacent the ends of the car underframe and wherein the bottom chords terminate substantially at the junctions of the portions of maximum depth and the portions of minimum depth, and in which an angle member having vertically and horizontally extending anges have the vertically extending anges thereof fastened to the exterior surfaces of said vertical 'plates and the horizontally extending anges thereof fastened to the tops of said bottom chords, said angle members extending from positions substantially aligned with the junctions of the maximum and minimum depth portions of said plates to the extremities of said plates.

7. A railway car underframe comprising a centersill as set forth in claim 2 in which angle members having vertically and horizontally extending flanges have their vertically extending flanges fastened to the exterior surfaces of said plates and having the ends of said horizontally extending flanges secured to the top surfaces of said bottom chords adjacent the terminating ends thereof, said angle members extending to the extremities of said plates, and in which the said means for positively spacing said plates interconnects the horizontally extending iianges of said angle members.

8. A railway car underframe comprising a centersill as set forth in claim 2 inl which angle members having vertically and horizontally extending iianges have their vertically extending flanges fastened to the exterior surfaces of said plates and having the ends of said horizontally extending flanges secured to the top surfaces of said bottom chords adjacent the terminating ends thereof, said angle members extending to the extremities of said plates, and in which the said means for positively spacing said plates interconnects the horizontally extending anges of said angle members, said positively spacing means being transversely disposed between the end of said bolster center filler and rear draft gear stop and the end of said striking casting with integral front draft lugs.

9. A railway car underframe comprising a centersill as set forth in claim 2 wherein said plate members taper upwardly from a central portion of maximum depth to a portion of uniform depth and in which said bottom chords taper upwardly to a terminating position substantially at the junctions of the tapered portions of said plates with the uniform depth portions thereof and wherein angle members each having a substantially linearly extending portion and a downwardly inclined portion are fastened to the exterior surfaces of said plates with the downwardly inclined portions of said angle members secured to the top surfaces of the bottom chords and to the exterior surfaces of said plates, said angle members being coextensive with said plates from the said junction positions with said bottom chords to the extremities of said plates.

KARL F. NYSTROM. WILLIAM R. YOKEL.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,793,474 Frede Feb. 24, 1931 1,821,151 Gilpin Sept. l, 1931 1,837,088 Watson Dec. 15, 1931 2,183,054 Tesseyman et al. Dec. 12, 1939 

